In the past 18 months, Hasbro has begun to aggressively pursue expansion across Europe through the creation of new regional teams and the strengthening of existing divisions.

The toy company has placed new licensing teams in Russia, Poland, Germany, Spain, and Turkey, and worked to strengthen its teams in the U.K. and France through the appointment of category experts in fashion, hard goods, toys and promotions.

“Expanding our foothold in Europe has been a corporate priority, and it’s exhilarating to see our vision become a reality with robust in-house licensing teams now in place in seven locations throughout Europe,” says James Walker, vice president of EMEA brand licensing, Hasbro. “As part of this strategy, we have been keenly focused on creating long-term relationships with best-in-class licensees in all segments to produce fully coordinated cross-category statements supported by stand-out, innovative product at retail. The results have been overwhelmingly positive and we expect the momentum to keep building as we roll out new initiatives in the coming months.”